Anime is lousy with good tattoos. They’re everywhere. Some of the coolest anime characters have some pretty chill tats. The only problem is, a lot of them are pretty big. Like badass full-body pieces. We love it, but it might be a little much for someone looking for their first. So for the newbies (or those who want something a little subtler), here are some small tattoo ideas from anime. Whether you want a new tat to celebrate the return of Trigun or one to remember the ending of Cowboy Beebop, we’ve got something for you.
Mugen’s Tattoos
Mugen’s tattoos are my personal favorite. In my opinion, tattoos that augment the natural beauty of the body tend to be superior to an image on the body. Mugen’s simple blue bands do this perfectly. They’re elegant, stylish, and can go with anything. He’s got them on his wrists and ankles, so you can do one body part or go crazy and get them all.
Seven Deadly Tats
As a small tattoo design, you can’t go wrong with these beauties from The Seven Deadly Sins. They work perfectly as a small design, and you can rep your favorite sin or get the full set. They would be a perfect piece for the wrist, upper arm, ribs, or even all seven down the back!
Hidden Tattoos
The symbols of the Hidden Villages from Naruto would work in a similar way to the Seven Deadly Sins tattoos. You could get a small piece anywhere on the body, or get all of them in sequence. My personal favorites are the Cloud, Rain, and Mist designs.
The Command Seals
There is a bounty of good tattoo ideas in the Fate series. There are twenty-one command seals in the series that have their own particular meaning. Picking one (or all twenty-one) would be the perfect option for fans who love the deeper lore the series has to offer.
A Fistful of Double Dollars
I would LOVE to see someone with a double-dollar ($$) tattoo from Trigun. You could get it anywhere. Fist. Wrist. Ankle. Ribs. Personally, I think it would be a sick finger tattoo. You could also get it on the inside of your bottom lip if you want to go real intense.
The Words of Beebop
If a text-based tattoo is more your style, you couldn’t go wrong with a Cowboy Bebop title card tattoo. “See You Space Cowboy” would be the obvious choice. But I think “Do You Have A Comrade?” or “You’re Gonna Carry That Weight” would be much more evocative.
Full Metal Tattoist
If you’re a Full Metal Alchemist fan, this tattoo could be for you. It’s called the “Flamel”, named after the father of real-world alchemy, Nicholas Flamel. I think it would look great on the wrist or shin (if you can stand the pain).
Featured image credit: MBS
